Part 2
Nigel sighed and looked out the plane window. He and Sydney had a rocky start to this relic hunt. At the airport they had a quarrel with airport officials about the legitimacy of their tickets, and the time it took to prove that the tickets were legit nearly made them miss their flight. Looking over at Sydney he smiled slightly, his boss was busy with something on her laptop. Something had been bothering Sydney since they met this morning. Nigel guessed that it was the way that Debry acted in the office. Sydney had told Nigel that morning that Debry was usually cool and calm, smooth in everything he did. Nigel looked out the window again, praying that the little girl behind him would fall asleep. She had been screaming or singing 'Do you know the muffin man?' the whole time. A few minutes passed and an announcement came over the intercom. Nigel could barely hear the announcement over the little girl's screaming, but he made out the words 'Landing,' 'Cairo,' and 'seatbelts.' Nigel put his seatbelt on and looked idly out the window again as he felt the plane slowly start to descend.
Sydney looked around the airport lobby for Nigel. The crowd had separated them while on their way to pick up the luggage. "Sydney Fox?" A voice behind her said. Spinning around, Sydney found herself facing a bearded man wearing navy blue from his loose fitting sport coat to his shoes. "Yes?" Sydney asked, scanning the room for Nigel, while still keeping her eye on the stranger. "I'm David Edwards. I'm here to escort you to your hotel and assist you in your relic hunt. Tim Debry hired me." Sydney nodded to Edwards before saying, "I have to find my friend first."
"Oh, Mr. Bailey? He's already waiting for us." Edwards said, beckoning her to follow. Sydney picked up her bags and followed Edwards outside. Sydney saw Nigel standing by a post in the parking lot. Sydney crossed the street with Edwards, then the trio entered to parking lot. Nearing a black car, Edwards pulled out his keys. "Not exactly the most colorful of people, is he?" Sydney commented more than asked. Nigel nodded his head in agreement. Once inside Sydney secured her bag and herself, which later paid off, for she often found herself wondering how Edwards got a license, or if he even had one. "What do you know about Parker Smith, Sydney?" Edwards asked after he quit driving like a maniac. "Parker Smith? That's his full name, I suppose?" Sydney asked, looking in her mirror at Nigel, whose eyes were still very wide. "Well, Smith is working for Brian Brent. Brent looks to sell the scroll for the most money he can weasel out of the highest bidder, if that gives you any idea of what he's like." Sydney nodded. "What else do you know about him?" Sydney asked. "Nothing, accept he has a small head start on us." Pulling up to a hotel, Edwards said, "Just say who you are and they will show you to your rooms. Meet me in the lobby at nine-thirty tomorrow morning."
Sydney looked around the large room, wondering who exactly had paid for the rooms. Whoever put up the money didn't spare any luxuries. The bed was one of the biggest she had ever seen in a hotel room, and the bathroom was almost big enough to be considered a room in itself. She dropped her bag beside her bed and knocked on the door that connected her room to Nigels' room. "Come in, Syd." Nigel called. Stepping inside, she saw Nigel siting on his bed, examining the map and riddle again. "Find anything?" She asked, sitting next to him. "Nothing." Nigel sighed and looked up at Sydney. "I just can't figure out the first lines, and it's starting to frustrate me." Sydney smiled at her friend, "Look, Nigel. Don't let it frustrate you. It's late, so why don't you get some sleep?" She suggested. Nigel looked again at the papers then back up at Sydney. "Ok." He agreed, suppressing a yawn. Sydney smiled and walked back into her room. Nigel watched as his boss left, then looked at the parchment one last time that night. Nigel was shocked to realize that he had been reading two of the symbols wrong. He looked at the paper again, and it all came together.
"Forever silent as a stone,
And you will find the secret tomb.
For left is right and right is wrong,
Or in the end you will be gone."
He read. "Sydney?" He called. Sydney came into his room, then saw the parchment in his hand. "What is it, Nigel?" She asked. "I figured it out." Nigel told her. "How much did you find?" Nigel read the riddle to Sydney, who asked, "Do you have any idea what it means?" Nigel shook his head. Sydney nodded. "You did a good job Nigel." She said, smiling at her assistant, "But you really should get some sleep." Nigel nodded. "I'll be able to now." He replied. Sydney nodded; she understood what he meant. As she walked back into her room, Nigel said "Good night, Sydney."
"Night, Nigel." Sydney replied. Sydney closed the door and climbed into bed, grateful for the sleep.
Nigel sighed and looked out the plane window. He and Sydney had a rocky start to this relic hunt. At the airport they had a quarrel with airport officials about the legitimacy of their tickets, and the time it took to prove that the tickets were legit nearly made them miss their flight. Looking over at Sydney he smiled slightly, his boss was busy with something on her laptop. Something had been bothering Sydney since they met this morning. Nigel guessed that it was the way that Debry acted in the office. Sydney had told Nigel that morning that Debry was usually cool and calm, smooth in everything he did. Nigel looked out the window again, praying that the little girl behind him would fall asleep. She had been screaming or singing 'Do you know the muffin man?' the whole time. A few minutes passed and an announcement came over the intercom. Nigel could barely hear the announcement over the little girl's screaming, but he made out the words 'Landing,' 'Cairo,' and 'seatbelts.' Nigel put his seatbelt on and looked idly out the window again as he felt the plane slowly start to descend.
Sydney looked around the airport lobby for Nigel. The crowd had separated them while on their way to pick up the luggage. "Sydney Fox?" A voice behind her said. Spinning around, Sydney found herself facing a bearded man wearing navy blue from his loose fitting sport coat to his shoes. "Yes?" Sydney asked, scanning the room for Nigel, while still keeping her eye on the stranger. "I'm David Edwards. I'm here to escort you to your hotel and assist you in your relic hunt. Tim Debry hired me." Sydney nodded to Edwards before saying, "I have to find my friend first."
"Oh, Mr. Bailey? He's already waiting for us." Edwards said, beckoning her to follow. Sydney picked up her bags and followed Edwards outside. Sydney saw Nigel standing by a post in the parking lot. Sydney crossed the street with Edwards, then the trio entered to parking lot. Nearing a black car, Edwards pulled out his keys. "Not exactly the most colorful of people, is he?" Sydney commented more than asked. Nigel nodded his head in agreement. Once inside Sydney secured her bag and herself, which later paid off, for she often found herself wondering how Edwards got a license, or if he even had one. "What do you know about Parker Smith, Sydney?" Edwards asked after he quit driving like a maniac. "Parker Smith? That's his full name, I suppose?" Sydney asked, looking in her mirror at Nigel, whose eyes were still very wide. "Well, Smith is working for Brian Brent. Brent looks to sell the scroll for the most money he can weasel out of the highest bidder, if that gives you any idea of what he's like." Sydney nodded. "What else do you know about him?" Sydney asked. "Nothing, accept he has a small head start on us." Pulling up to a hotel, Edwards said, "Just say who you are and they will show you to your rooms. Meet me in the lobby at nine-thirty tomorrow morning."
Sydney looked around the large room, wondering who exactly had paid for the rooms. Whoever put up the money didn't spare any luxuries. The bed was one of the biggest she had ever seen in a hotel room, and the bathroom was almost big enough to be considered a room in itself. She dropped her bag beside her bed and knocked on the door that connected her room to Nigels' room. "Come in, Syd." Nigel called. Stepping inside, she saw Nigel siting on his bed, examining the map and riddle again. "Find anything?" She asked, sitting next to him. "Nothing." Nigel sighed and looked up at Sydney. "I just can't figure out the first lines, and it's starting to frustrate me." Sydney smiled at her friend, "Look, Nigel. Don't let it frustrate you. It's late, so why don't you get some sleep?" She suggested. Nigel looked again at the papers then back up at Sydney. "Ok." He agreed, suppressing a yawn. Sydney smiled and walked back into her room. Nigel watched as his boss left, then looked at the parchment one last time that night. Nigel was shocked to realize that he had been reading two of the symbols wrong. He looked at the paper again, and it all came together.
"Forever silent as a stone,
And you will find the secret tomb.
For left is right and right is wrong,
Or in the end you will be gone."
He read. "Sydney?" He called. Sydney came into his room, then saw the parchment in his hand. "What is it, Nigel?" She asked. "I figured it out." Nigel told her. "How much did you find?" Nigel read the riddle to Sydney, who asked, "Do you have any idea what it means?" Nigel shook his head. Sydney nodded. "You did a good job Nigel." She said, smiling at her assistant, "But you really should get some sleep." Nigel nodded. "I'll be able to now." He replied. Sydney nodded; she understood what he meant. As she walked back into her room, Nigel said "Good night, Sydney."
"Night, Nigel." Sydney replied. Sydney closed the door and climbed into bed, grateful for the sleep.